1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communications networks and, in particular, to an enhancement of the interface between a customer administrative system and database network elements of a communications network to support the activation of meta-services.
2. Description of Related Art
Reference is now made to FIG. 1 wherein there is shown a block diagram illustrating a portion of a communications network 10 implementing a prior art transaction-based interface (IF) 12 between a customer administrative system (CAS) 14 and a plurality of database network elements (NE) 16. The interface 12, customer administrative system 14, and database network elements 16 are interconnected using a network 18 preferably comprising a network, such as an X.25 network, separate and apart from the communications network 10. As an example, the communications network 10 may comprise a wireless (for example, cellular) telecommunications system, with each database network element 16 then comprising, for example, a database storing permanent and temporary wireless subscriber data (e.g., a home location register (HLR)). The permanent data stored in the database network element 16 comprises fixed information concerning the communications service subscripted to by each subscriber. The temporary data stored in the database network element 16 comprises variable information, such as in the instance of a home location register information concerning the current location of each subscriber.
The customer administrative system 14 is utilized to engage in transactions relating to the administration of the permanent data stored in each database network element 16. These administration activities, in general, relate to transactions performed for the purposes of customer (i.e., subscriber) creation or deletion, service activation, and the like, relating to a given customer. More particularly, the transactions relate to subscriber data administration tasks such as:
subscription initiation/removal/status, PA1 subscriber activation/cancellation, PA1 service provision/withdrawal/activation/passivation, PA1 C-number (transfer) definition, PA1 pass code changes, and PA1 serial number changes.
The transactions may further relate to authentication administration tasks such as authentication activation/change/deactivation/status. Additionally, the transactions relate to numbering plan configuration including number range assignment, numbering plan deletion and numbering plan viewing.
By "transaction-based" it is meant that the interface 12 receives orders originated at the customer administrative system 14 and directed (i.e., addressed) to a particular one of the database network elements 16, converts those commands to a proper format for communication to and/understanding by the addressed database network element, and routes to the addressed database network element. Similarly, the interface 12 receives any response to the order from the addressed database network element 16, converts the response to a proper format for communication to and/understanding by the customer administrative system 14 that originated the order, and routes to the originating customer administrative system. Thus, one order generated by the customer administrative system 14 which is sent through the interface 12 to an addressed database network element 16 produces one corresponding response.
In many instances, the provider of telecommunications services on the communications network 10 packages a number of individual services together for marketing and sale to subscribers as a meta-service. In order to activate and subsequently manage a meta-service, a command (such as, for example, an activation request) is originated at the customer administrative system 14 for a first one of the individual services included within the meta-service, and directed to a particular one of the database network elements 16 implicated by that individual service through the interface 12. The interface 12 functions in the manner described above to convert the command to a proper format for communication to and/understanding by the addressed database network element implicated by the individual service, and routes the command to that addressed database network element(s). This process is then repeated over and over again for each one of the individual services included within the meta-service. Thus, the customer administrative system 14 must generate, typically, at least as many commands relating to activation or management of a meta-service as there are individual services contained within that meta-service.
There is a need for an improved interface between a customer administrative system and a plurality of database network elements that will support single command activation or management of a meta-service.